That's why when their newly-hired drama teacher started a production of the Tony Award-winning "In the Heights," she had no idea how many students would actually be interested.

But the response exceeded even her wildest expectations for a first-year production: 40 students signed up, about 20 percent of the student population.

"I didn't even hold auditions, I just said, 'Whoever wants to be in this musical, let's do it,'" Julie Valenzuela says. "It was great to provide that outlet for the students, and they just jumped onto it."

Valenzuela, who began as the school's drama teacher this year, says the positive response to the new program will serve as a jumping point to grow and expand it in upcoming years.

"The kids have a better understanding now of how to prepare for next year and push ourselves to that next level," she says.

The 1414 E. Cedar St. school caters to what its website calls "at-promise" children in an "at-risk" world, and many of the students would lack the financial means to even see plays, much less perform in them, Valenzuela says.

Valenzuela said she chose "In the Heights" specifically because she believed there were parallels between the characters and Lincoln Leadership's students that they could relate to.

The show follows six central characters in the Dominican-American neighborhood of Washington Heights, New York City, as they struggle with their dreams and try to find common understanding with their community.

"Our students come from the 'Washington Heights' of Allentown," Valenzuela says. "If they're going to sing and dance, but have no training in those areas, we had to pick something relatable to them."

Sis-Obed Torres-Cordero, director of operations, says the school specifically sought to bring a drama curriculum into the school because they believe the arts play a major role in the overall development of a student.

"As other school districts are cutting down on the areas, we really wanted to expand on them," Torres says. "Our kids have an abundance of personality and they don't always have the avenues to let all that energy out."

"In the Heights" was performed on April 25 and earned the school two Freddy nominations: Mya Niles for Outstanding Performance by a Featured Dancer, and Luli Colon for Outstanding Featured Performance by an Actress for her role as Daniela, the owner of a salon frequented by gossiping neighborhood girls.

Colon, a 17-year-old junior, says she attended Liberty High School in Bethlehem before coming to Lincoln Leadership, but did not participate in their theater program.

She was discouraged there because she felt most of the students already had experience with dancing and acting lessons, but found the smaller environment at Lincoln Leadership more welcoming.

"I think this is probably one of the bigger things that ever happened to me," Colon says of the musical. "It's something that affected me very largely."

The school had a budget of only about $3,000, which included money they fund-raised themselves through a small production of student monologues in November, Valenzuela says.

The bare bones budget required them to borrow or make most of their props and scenery, and the students scoured the school building for desks, file cabinets and other objects for use in the show.

"It was like a big family that everybody learned off of," says Janaiya Cupid, a 15-year-old sophomore. "We fed off each other's energy."

Valenzuela earned a degree in musical theater from the Boston Conservatory and worked as an actress at several Boston theater companies before becoming a teacher.

She spent seven years at a California high school with more than 4,000 students before moving to Pennsylvania, where she found enjoyment working at Lincoln Leadership due to the smaller classes and opportunity for more personalized instruction.